Discussions about Caleb Williams will continue right up until the draft for Chicago Bears fans. At this point, we’ve covered all the things the USC star does well. He’s mobile, instinctive as a playmaker, avoids excessive turnovers, and can throw with some excellent accuracy. Naturally, discussions must involve concerns about him as well. Williams is listed at 6’1, which might be generous. He held the ball a lot, searching for big plays rather than taking easier ones. Some have concerns about his lack of an agent and how difficult he might be in any negotiations.
Greg Cosell is one of the most respected quarterback evaluators out there. He’s been doing it for decades and is renowned for his fair, honest assessments and attention to detail. The past few weeks have involved him digging into a lot of Williams’ tape from 2022 and 2023. Like others, he sees a lot of traits that make it easy to understand why the QB is so hyped up. However, Cosell explained on the Behind The Screen podcast that there is one persistent issue that makes him nervous about Williams.
He has a bad habit of taking way too many sacks.
Nobody proves that more than Justin Fields. He suffers from the same problem. For all his incredible mobility, the Bears quarterback is a sack magnet. What people aren’t sure about with Williams is how much of that is his fault. He played behind some rough offensive lines the past two years. Still, that reputation for holding the ball doesn’t help. When people talk about the best quarterbacks in NFL history, one trait they too often overlook is the ability to avoid sacks. Bill Belichick said that was one of Tom Brady’s defining traits.
Across 23 years, Brady was sacked 565 times. That may sound like a lot until you realize Russell Wilson has been sacked 527 times in only 12 years. Few things kill offensive drives in the NFL more than sacks. Recent studies revealed that offensive drives involving a sack ended with a punt 18.4% more often than those without one. Offenses were 20% less likely to score if they allowed a sack. Fields was sacked 135 times in 40 games with the Bears. It shouldn’t be a surprise their offense ranked 27th, 23rd, and 18th in points scored over three years.
Is this a dealbreaker with Caleb Williams? No. It’s possible the sack issues were less about him and more about his situation. Still, Cosell raises a fair concern that the Bears would be wise to heed.
